Roman Provincial
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria
Gordian III (238-244), BI Tetradrachm 242-244, Antioch mint
Obverse: laureate head right
ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟΣ ΣΕΒ
Reverse: eagle with slightly raised wings and a wreath in its beak, a crescent moon between the claws, a ram running below with its head turned back, as a mint mark of the city of Antioch on the Orontes
ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞ ΥΠΑΤΟ Β
Weight 12.92 g
Antioch was seized by Roman troops under Pompey in 64 BC and became the capital of the Roman province of Syria. Under new rule, the city flourished rapidly and soon became Syria's largest metropolis, its military, economic and cultural capital. Great temples, a forum, a theater, an amphitheater, a library, baths, aqueducts and other public buildings were built. The two main streets of the city, crossing at right angles, were decorated with statues and colonnades. This investment was sponsored by the famous Jewish king Herod the Great. Five bridges across the Orontes were built. The huge city became cosmopolitan, although it was always dominated by the Greeks.
